Tavis Smiley, Hillary Clinton and WalMart, sitting in a tree.......

[FrenchieCat]

looking very foolish right now at his Black Symposium......being shown live right now on C-Span.

Tavis falling flat in his announcement that Hillary Clinton will be the only Presidential candidate to show at 4:30 today. Not one Applause.

Tavis had just given himself, McDonald, Exxon-Mobile and WalMart a 15 minute informercial.

It is just not "happening" today.

I believe that Jessee Jackson set Tavis straight earlier in the day. It has been going downhill ever since.

[JimGinPA]

1. I Think This May Not Be Too Much Fun For Hillary nt

[FrenchieCat]

2. It is looking grim.

The next panel is being sitted now, that the corporate commercials are over.

[MethuenProgressive]

3. It's on C-Span, Frenchie. So I know the truth about what you just typed.

"Tavis had just given himself, McDonald, Exxon-Mobile and WalMart a 15 minute informercial.
Tavis falling flat in his announcement that Hillary Clinton will be the only Presidential candidate to show at 4:30 today. Not one Applause."

Why? Who do you think you're "helping"?

[FrenchieCat]

6. I'm telling facts.......

do you have a problem with that?

Tavis has been a bit full of himself in reference to dogging out Barack......and could have had Michelle Obama appear....but that wasn't "good" enough for him.

Tavis has a role in uplifting Black folks.....he just needs to focus on that, and stop attempting to be the judge of things.

[MethuenProgressive]

21. You need a dictionary. Fiction does not equal fact.

You're only fooling yourself.

[MADem]

Your WALMART references certainly do amuse, as they have a hypocritical element to them.

Here are a few facts for you.

Those horrible BASTARDS at WALMART have helped to feather the Obama nest to no small extent, indeed: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/13/wobama13.xml

Obama called hypocrite for wife's Wal-Mart link
By Philip Sherwell in New York, Sunday Telegraph

Business link: Michelle Obama


Yet, while her style and performance are winning plaudits on the campaign trail, a little-reported business interest of Mrs Obama's has opened her husband up to one of the criticisms that politicians fear most - the taint of hypocrisy.



She is taking a break from her main job, as a well-remunerated Chicago hospital executive, to campaign for her husband. But she has just been re-elected to the board of an Illinois food-processing company, a position she took up two years ago to gain experience of the private sector.

And the biggest customer for the pickles and peppers produced by Treehouse Foods is the retail giant Wal-Mart, the world's largest corporation and the bête noire of American liberals, including Sen Obama, for its employment practices, most notably its refusal to recognise trade unions.

As the Illinois senator prepared to join the presidential fray late last year, he threw his weight behind the union-backed campaign against Wal-Mart. He declared that there was a "moral responsibility to stand up and fight" the company and "force them to examine their own corporate values".

According to the couple's tax returns, Mrs Obama earned $51,200 (£25,700) for her work as a non-executive director on Treehouse's board last year, on top of the $271,618 salary she was paid as a vice-president of the University of Chicago Hospitals.

She also received 7,500 Treehouse stock options, worth a further $72,375, as she did the previous year, when she banked a $45,000 salary from the company.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Al Sharpton, Cornel West and others on the panel being sitted now......

should be interesting.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Hillary Clinton Showed Courage And Commitment By Attending

If people don't respect that it reveals more about them than it can ever reveal about her,,,

[Windy]

7. There is nothing about her appearance that has to do with courage.

Its about getting votes. She needs to try and win back the african american vote. That's why she's there.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. McDaddy And The Huckster Need African American Votes...Why Aren't They There?

~

[FrenchieCat]

11. Because it is not a constituency that they just lost within the last month.....

now is it?

[FrenchieCat]

12. Cornel West just dissed Tavis.......

bigtime!

[Tess99]

17. I missed it! What did he say?

[FrenchieCat]

22. He basically said that Tavis chose the wrong message

when he could have chosen the right one.

[Tom Rinaldo]

29. If she wasn't fighting for her political life In TX and OH, I would agree

But Hillary already has the lead in Ohio and she needs to be up there campaigning to hold onto it, and in Texas her best chance there is to really turn out the latino vote.

I take Obama at his word that he is not attending because his political priority right now must be winnning the upcoming critical primaries. Hillary has that priority also, only much more so.

For Hillary Clinton her campaign now all boils down to two weeks and every hour counts. I doubt there is anything she can say at this conference that will turn many Black voters, who are overwhelmingly supporting Obama at this point, away from voting for him in Texas and Ohio that she could not better say in Texas and Ohio, and no matter what - Hillary Clinton can't realistically be looking for the Black vote in two weeks to turn her campaign around in those states.

Hillary Clinton's short term need is to spend every minute possible campaigning for the votes she is most likely to win. This doesn't meet her short term needs, it meets her committment to restore good ties with the Black community that have been frayed by this nominating contest - but that is a long term need, and not even a critical one from a self serving perspective if she does not become our Presidential candidate. Hillary Clinton takes her black support in New York seriously, but she doesn't NEED to cultivate it now to defeat a Republican in New York in 2012.

Hillary Clinton is there because as a leader of the Democratic Party who was invited she feels she should be. And because she knows that the Black community matters and that bad blood between Democrats and the black community will hurt the Democratic Party and probably the black community as a result. It is the right thing for her to do but it isn't the right thing to do for her campaign right now - just the right thing to do.

[wndycty]

34. I believe Hillary is keeping a commitment. . .

. . .I don't begrudge her attendance one iota. I do however take exception with those who pretend that Obama not participating in the symposium as a slight of either Black America or New Orleans.

This event has become a political football for folks who have no interest in the Black community.

[Tom Rinaldo]

42. I agree with you about Obama

I don't think for a second that he is slighting Black America by not being there. He probably thinks that winning the nomination is how he can help there the most.

I just disagree with those who think Hillary is present to try to fight back and win the nomination by winning back Black voters. She doesn't have time for that strategy to take root before TX and OH. Certainly she doesn't have time for that when it means less time spent in those states now in the final days. It this was an Hispanic Conference in New Mexico, I could agree it was part of her primary strategy. That isn't what her appearance is about today. It is for the long run at a time when the short run is closing on her fast.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

39. She's Up For Re-Election In 2012

~

[Tom Rinaldo]

45. Yup. Thanks for that correction. My brain is fixed on four year terms for some reason lol n/t

[FrenchieCat]

9. She's trying to win back votes.......

when you are only getting 10% of the vote of this particular voting population, you have no choice but to try to show up.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. That's Her Ceiling Since Camp Obama Turned Her And Bill Into George And Lurleen Wallace

It shows tremendous dedication and a pure heart for her to attend...

She should be a candidate for sainthood but she's Methodist...

[Tess99]

25. This is a gathering where, last year, she was beloved

and Obama was booed. Just a year ago, the panelists were praising her and dissing Barack. The audience was hisssing at the mere mention of his name and cheering at the mention of Hillary's name. The fact is, she turned off black voters which caused them to take another look at Barack. Now she can barely break 15 percent in the black vote in many of these states. Thats her fault and her fault alone.

[ginnyinWI]

27. interesting--I didn't know that! n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

31. We Will Have To Differ On This

The Clinton's have been friends to and respected in the African American, Jewish, Latino, and Asian community... That dynamic no longer exists and the fault does not lie with the Clintons but with an orchestrated effort to change it...

[NDambi]

54. Orchestrated change made Bill show his ass in South Carolina?

[CatnHat]

24. Is that why

Obama left Wisconsin early to win over Hispanic voters in TX?

[ginnyinWI]

28. he didn't leave early. n/t

[CatnHat]

40. Obama

gave his Wisconsin speech in TX.

[ginnyinWI]

59. they all do that--Hillary included.

They've been giving speeches from the next campaign state. Totally the norm.

[CatnHat]

62. According to this thread

then, Obama supporters should quit claiming that Hillary is the only one.

[pocoloco]

13. Commitment, I can understand, but why would it take courage

to attend???

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. Because She's Appearing Before A Crowd Who (No Longer) Likes Her

~

[FrenchieCat]

26. They don't dislike her....they just prefer her opponent.

[cali]

19. some of her more feverish supporters are trying to turn her into

a martyr who's been cruelly wounded by the evil Obama. It's that simple.

[grantcart]

30. courage that's rich keep up with that lol

[Avalux]

32. Bullshit. She's desperate to regain the black vote.

That is the ONLY reason she's there and it's apparent to everyone. It's a political calculation.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

43. That Vote Is Lost To Her And She Knows It

Every day I become more impressed by her courage and commitment...

[EffieBlack]

33. Courage?

Why does it take courage for anyone to come to this event?

[tishaLA]

46. I think Sen Clinton was right to attend....

and Sen Obama was right to stay away. They have good reasons for their decisions; I respect them.

[NDambi]

53. Is that what they call seeking vote by any means necessary these days ..Courage

[MADem]

10. The crowd seems pretty enthused to me. Alfred C. Sharpton is in the House.

So's Cornell West.

Jonathan Demme is there, too, of "Right To Return" fame--a bit of an "infomercial" for the victims of Katrina, that.

It looks like a great program.

I find it unsurprising that you'd want to try to throw Tavis Smiley under the bus, though.

I think it's "happening" just fine.

[FrenchieCat]

14. Tavis has his function in how he pulls money from Corporate America.....

and he has done good things. However, he just ain't all that to be attempting to judge what Barack Obama should be doing.

[zabet]

18. Is anyone

"all that to be attempting to judge" anyone? :shrug:

[MADem]

20. Heaven forbid that Tavis Smiley, a "courageous" person, per Rev. Sharpton, should have an opinion.

How DARE he?

:sarcasm:

[K Gardner]

23. I think this is all just fine, MADem. Its like watching DU on TV ! Very lively, opinionated and

enthusiastic debate, no one is pulling any punches. Its all good to me !

[MADem]

41. I enjoy this annual event. The OP seems eager to denigrate it.

I find that attitude to be absurdly partisan.

Her candidate didn't turn up, ergo, the event sucks. And how dare WALMART have anything to do with this event....even though WALMART paid her candidate's wife more than most Americans make in an entire year for her services to them. Which is why her candidate has "toned down" his WALMART bashing of late--he knows he is vulnerable. The guy isn't stupid.

[wndycty]

57. I don't think the OP denigrates it. . .

. . .hell the poster is watching and enjoying it. I'm watching it and enjoying it as I have every year.

This a great and worthwhile event. But I hate that some folks have attempted to make this event into a political football.

[apocalypsehow]

64. Re-read the OP. You know, for someone with "five degrees" (and one "not American"!) your reading

comprehension skills could sure use some work. Just sayin'.

[NDambi]

56. Agreed...100%

[wndycty]

35. Dick Gregory is clowning and he is cracking everyone up

:kick:

God I love that man.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

37. He is just Great!

[wndycty]

48. If that wasn't one of those uniquely fantastic African American moments. . .

. . .WOW!

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

49. That was fun, I want more!

[blogslut]

36. Ahhh! Dick Gregory!!

Oh my!! Dissin' WalMart, Exxon and the Banks!

[JimGinPA]

38. He's A Riot nt

[blogslut]

47. Did you watch him?

He told them. He told them what they needed to hear.

[JimGinPA]

50. "Two More White Women"...

I almost peed myelf!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[NDambi]

44. Tavis is a Clinton lover...

I've listened to him for the last 15 yrs on morning radio...long before he got his show on PBS..he's been a Clinton fan for sometime..no surprise there..

But he's losing in the black community on this one..I don't know one black person that agrees on with Tavis...they all support Barack not attending..don't feel it's necessary for him to do so...there are bigger fish to fry!

[tishaLA]

51. Not a fan of Prof Akbar

he is like a parody

[FrenchieCat]

60. He-Lo.......

Morehouse President had it right....this ain't just about a face or just talk....this is about actual activism.....and just like MLK led a group that included more than just Black People...so is Barack!

[tishaLA]

52. Donna Brazile is giving a great, heartfelt speech

about NO and what it means to family, community, and politics.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

55. Very eloquent.

[TexasObserver]

58. Dick Gregory hit Tavis hard on the Corporate Sponsors, too!

[JimGinPA]

61. Al Sharpton "We're Not Going To Let Them Stack The Deck"

Talking about turning the light on to see the cockroaches scatter.


:rofl:

[KittyWampus]

63. Frenchie, is Tavis the black Godfather or something?